Conference notes with concern the continued attempts by the Coalition government at Westminster to break up national pay bargaining in the public services with attempts to introduce local and regional pay. Conference welcomes the fact that active campaigning has deterred some of the immediate threats through the pay review body system but threats remain, not […]
Conference motions
Conference is angry at the Coalition government’s continued attacks on individual and trade union employment rights that have been stepped up this year and calls on the National Executive Council to lead a campaign to reverse policies that have laid waste to our economy, our public services and the living standards of our members since […]
Conference condemns the failure of political leaders to grasp the nettle and implement a long-term sustainable solution to the funding deficit in social care. The numbers of people who need social care and support are continuing to rise as a result of the ageing population and medical advances which have improved life expectancy. But the […]
Conference finds no joy in being proved right that the Coalitions austerity programme continues to cause a slump. Final UK growth is forecast by the Chancellor for minus 0.1 percent in 2012 and optimistically for 1.2% in 2013. The Quantitative Easing scheme run by Bank of England has propped up the financial firms with cheap […]
Conference condemns the brutal murder of Lee Rigby, a serving soldier, in Woolwich on Wednesday 22nd May. Conference pays tribute to the family of Lee Rigby who have appealed for no reprisal attacks to take place in his name and pays tribute to the many people that attempted to intervene before the emergency services arrived. […]
Conference recognises that many UNISON members, especially low paid and part-time workers, receive very low occupational pensions and many of our members chose not to join the occupational schemes at all. It is important that UNISON remembers that these members are still very reliant on the state pension for their livelihood in retirement. Conference notes […]
The creation of the NHS in 1948 was one of the greatest achievements of the post war Labour government. The founding principles were that health care should be funded from taxation and delivered free at the point of use. Since its creation the NHS has come under attack from successive Tory governments. However, since the […]
The Coalition government’s attempt to cut billions from the welfare budget will have a devastating impact on low income households across the UK in the period ahead and in so doing, create a divided society in which Victorian themes of the deserving and undeserving poor are used. Conference notes in particular that: 1) the provisions […]
Conference condemns moves by the coalition government to encourage greater use of outsourcing and privatisation in the delivery of public services. In doing so governments have ignored the impact of this US style approach which includes: 1) increased inequality in access and delivery of public services; 2) fragmentation of services, confusion for service users and […]
Conference condemns the prolonged public sector pay freeze that has drastically reduced the amount workers have received in recent years and now the punitive pay cap of 1% for two years from 2013. Conference also notes that many private companies and community/voluntary sector providers of public services have mirrored this freeze. On top of the […]
This Conference welcomes the work of Platform 51(the operating name of the YWCA England & Wales), and YWCA Scotland, to support girls and young women as they seek to achieve their potential. This Conference believes that the possibility for joint work with these bodies deserves to be explored in order to identify joint campaigning opportunities […]
This Conference welcomes the establishment of the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child, inaugurated this year on October 11 2012, and to be celebrated on October 11 every year thereafter. This Conference fully supports the aims of this event, i.e. to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an […]
Conference acknowledges that many of the cuts in public services have hit rural communities, already poorly served, harder than urban areas. Women who are already on lower incomes and reliant on diminishing benefits and public services are particularly disadvantaged. A recent survey conducted in the South West revealed that women are more likely to be […]
The Government’s proposed Universal Credit scheme, one of their flagship policies, is intended to consolidate benefits and tax credits into one single payment, thereby reducing complexity and administration costs significantly. The Government claim is that the new scheme will provide a greater incentive for people on benefits to work and ensure that they do not […]
Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue similar to the womb lining is found outside the uterus. It affects an estimated 10% of women of childbearing age and has affected girls as young as 11 years. Its cause is unknown and diagnosis difficult and for those who suffer from the condition it can be chronic […]